Monday, January 30, 2012

Seduced by Color. Moebius Magic.

A post in which I offend:
  • rich dudes
  • supermodels
  • acrylic yarn
You have been warned.

I am beginning to understand how a guy must feel after he falls for one of those really beautiful or magically attractive women who have not much else going on.  Spellbound by her attractions, all common sense flies out the window.  Later, when he thinks it over, he realizes that he should have known all along how it would end.  But at the time, he was just dazzled.

It happened to me.

In this case, I did NOT fall for a babe, but I did fall for an absolutely beautiful yarn.  In acrylic.  ACRYLIC!  I have known better than this for the last 40 years.  But I was absolutely seduced by the lustrous, luscious, vibrant color.


I looked all through the yarns at Great Yarns in Raleigh and kept coming back to this. I tried to reject it, too, and asked a clerk for help in finding a wool in similar colors.  I didn't seen anything in the bright colors I love except for some tiny skeins of silk yarn at about $1,000 an inch. Or something like that. 

In the end, I bypassed the more subtle colors of the natural wools for the shallow, superficial and beautifully bright acrylic.

first draft in white cotton
I wanted it to make a moebius scarf.  I still remember vividly the moment in junior high school when someone first showed me a moebius strip.  I poked around a bit online looking for patterns but eventually just started crocheting.  REALLY easy.   You work from the inside out and at the end of each complete round you have added a row to both sides of it.  It's magic.  Really.

How to crochet a moebius scarf   (what I did in parentheses)
Chain as long as you want, plus 2-3 more for the turn  (72 inches, which was 160 stitches using chunky yarn and a K hook).  Turn and single or double crochet (your choice) in each chain stitch.  Lay it out flat on a table and bring the two ends together.  Instead of connecting them into a straight tube, turn one end over and then attach them.  This creates the moebius strip. 

Chain up to the next row and keep crocheting. (With single crochet after the first chain up you can skip this and just crochet continuously.)  You will find yourself going around the outer edge of both sides before you come back to the starting point.  Make it as wide as you want.  (Mine was 7" but different yarn, different needle size would create a different drape.)  Try it on several times until it is as wide as you want.

I did three rough drafts in white cotton, double crocheted for speed.  These will eventually go in the dye pot unless one of the DDs really likes the white.  All of the drafts came out fine, I refined my technique a bit each time.  I've been crocheting since I was 8, but there are always several years in between bursts of crochet activity, during which I forget half of what I ever knew.




You can wear it long. 
Looks better on Sophie this way than it does on me.



You can wear it looped around your neck.

I enjoyed every moment of working with this gorgeous color and experiencing the moebius magic.  I'm sure Mr. GotBucks enjoys the time he spends with his latest supermodel girlfriend, too.

Now for the morning after.  It's still acrylic.  It's behaving like acrylic already.  I've worn it ONCE.  In the sunlight it looks exactly like.............acrylic.  It's every bit as warm as.................acrylic.  I think I hate myself.


You can pull it up over your head if it gets really cold.
Unless you stupidly made it in acrylic. 
 
Did I mention that I have an entire steamer trunk of Bernat Sesame 4 wool in various colors?  (Long story).  And a laundry basket full of miscellaneous yarns from thrift shops.  Of course I had nothing that would go with my purple suede jacket. 

I've read about dyeing wool with Kool-Aid and I might just throw some Kool-Aid at some of that Bernat and see what happens.  I could use some more moebius magic before the urge to crochet fades out.

5 comments:

  1. Aaaaaah, I understand too well. Nothing equals wool. (I'm amazed that Knitpicks is now selling "new" acrylics.--I'm not being taken in.)

    Your scarf is beautiful, but warm and wearable is, indeed, more important.

    Haven't tried the Kool-aid dyeing yet, but it does sound like a good plan.

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    1. Even cotton is warmer than acrylic. It does have a use in my wardrobe though. If you want to brighten a dull outfit or dreary day but do not want the warmth - such as an indoor event - this will be a nice addition.

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  2. How pretty! I can't comment on acrylic vs. wool, since I don't crochet or knit. The color is beautiful! We all have our 'moments'.

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  3. Very pretty! I love the colors! I can't tell it's acrylic from here. I'm looking forward to seeing how the dyes turn out.

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  4. Oh. I never realized that about acrylic! I only ever hated it because it is so pill-y. But then we seem to have skipped winter here this year and gone staight to spring. I've only put a jacket on twice.
    Thanks for 'splaining how to do the moebius thing. It's on my definitely make list now.
    I did the Kool-Aid dying on silk one time. Beautiful results and it smells so dang good! I wonder if they are making blue again...Must check!

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